Blog entries tagged in Puppy

Did you know that many of your pet’s risk of diseases can be in your own back yard, your favorite pet store, or even the dog park you take your pet to?

Something as innocent as allowing your puppy to play in a puddle of water, playing fetch with your dog at the river, letting your pet play in a wooded area, and most importantly taking your dog to the dog park can pose health risks to your dog. These are the most dangerous places for your pet if they are not vaccinated regularly and kept on a monthly heartworm and intestinal parasite preventive.

One of the most common parasites many pet owners are unaware that their pet can get is Giardia. This parasite leads to symptoms of abdominal pain, weight loss, and most commonly diarrhea that is excessively smelly. Most owners are not aware of the fact that letting their precious fur baby drink from the puddled rain water or any standing water in the yard puts their pet at risk for this disease. The Giardia can even be transmissible to owners that do not follow proper hygiene rules. The best way to prevent your pet from getting this organism is not allowing them to drink from any standing water and to provide a fresh clean water bowl every day.

Two other common conditions are Leptospirosis and Lyme’s Disease. These can cause irreversible damage to your pet’s health. Lyme’s Disease is transmitted by a species of ticks. Most people are not aware of the damage something so small can cause. Leptospirosis , commonly referred to as Lepto, is transmitted by wild animals such as possums, raccoons, rats, and squirrels. It is commonly found in the soil and once again it lives in the waters that your pet plays in and drinks from. With the continual urban sprawl, there is even risk for backyard pets that are frequent diggers. Vaccinations are available to prevent against Leptospirosis and Lyme’s Disease. Although we cannot protect your pet from all dangerous things, we can, as their advocate, inform you of the risks they may be exposed to and help you to protect them from the things mentioned.

Your new puppy needs to see the veterinarian multiple times in its young life not only to be examined for any developmental or genetic issues, but also to be given protective vaccines. When a puppy is born, it acquires antibodies from its mother’s milk against many diseases. Overtime, these antibodies fade and without vaccines, your puppy would be left defenseless from diseases such as parvovirus and rabies.

There are many available formulations of puppy food to purchase for your new canine companion. The best type of food to feed is a small kibble that your puppy chews in his or her back teeth. The harder kibble helps to keep your dog’s oral health at its best and avoids the excessive calories found in canned food. There are mini kibbles and diets for large breed puppies that provide different sizes of the kibble to fit the size of the puppies mouth. Puppies should be fed a growth formulation until they have been spayed or neutered. At this point, their metabolism goes through a transition and they require the fewer calories that are provided in adult formulations.